_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/ _/ _/ B y t e s F o r A l l --- http://www.bytesforall.org _/ Making Computing Relevant to the People of South Asia _/ http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bytesforall_readers 062004 _/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/
Open Access Workshop -------------------- MSSRF ( http://www.mssrf.org ), the MS Swaminathan Research Fundation, held an interesting event in early May. Sunil Abraham <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> reports that the focus of this workshop is GNU EPrints, a 'Mukt' and 'Muft' software. The GNU EPrints has been developed at the Electronics and Computer Science Department of the University of Southampton. See http://software.eprints.org/. Today there are 132 known archives running EPrints software worldwide. And the total number of records in these archives is 45894. Dr Leslie Carr demonstrated the installation of E-Prints software on Red Hat 7.3. E-Prints requires Apache Web Server, MySQL Relational Database Server and Perl Programming Language. After that Prof. Leslie Chan demonstrated OAIster [http://www.oaister.org This is a meta-crawler for Open Archives. Today it has 3,163,129 records from 282 institutions. Says Abraham: "This is really a *must see* for all researchers, documentalists, archivists and information scientists." OAIster is based on an Open Archives Initiative - Protocol for Metadata Harvesting. See more at http://www.openarchives.org/ In short OAI provides standards, technologies and tools to Open Archive projects that wish to publish data in a uniform manner and thus leverage the collective strength of the network. This is similar to the Dublin Core http://dublincore.org/ initiative. Other presentations included one by Dr D K Sahu on Open File Formats and design of Meta Data. He is making a detailed comparison of PDF, HTML, XML and SGML. Low or no Net access -------------------- Jude Griffin <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> of the Electronic Products Group Management Sciences for Health Boston http://www.msh.org has been visiting India to look at the state of innovation for those with low or no Internet access, and who is doing innovative work in ICTs in India. Says he: "I work for Management Sciences for Health -- an international health nonprofit whose audience is health professionals in the developing world. This audience spans health workers in Bangladesh to ministry officials in Latin America." Their products and courses use a mix of delivery methodologies including Web, email, CD rom, print and face-to-face. Says Griffin: "We are looking for possible collaboration partners for a variety of ICT initiatives from courses to communities of practice which would utilize a range of ICTs." Open publishing --------------- The Journal of Orthopaedics is applying the principles of Free Software and Open Source to the publishing world. Open Access has already become the buzzword in scholarly discussions and publishing circles. The scholar community, which was denied barrier-free access to vital research, has already begun dreaming of the free world where exchange of vital research is seamless. The Open Access Movements are gaining momentum and public acceptance worldwide. Open Access can change the scenario by a multi-pronged approach. Firstly by releasing the content in an open access license, which inherently includes reuse permissions, will make it available in different forms and different avenues free of cost. This significantly improves access. For example, a recent editorial published in Calicut Medical Journal[ www.calicutmedicaljournal.org] was translated to vernacular language and republished in a popular health magazine, which made the article accessible to a community which had no access to the primary literature. Dr.P.V Ramachandran Professor of Radiodiagnosis Medical College Aleppey E-Mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Web: www.pvramachandran.com and Dr.Vinod Scaria of Kozhikode in Kerala E-Mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Web: www.drvinod.com made this point very aptly recently. Digilibraries ------------- Check out the mailing list for digital libraries, Digilib_India. To subscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] It brings across useful informational nuggets, like the recent one about USEMARCON Plus v1.41. USEMARCON is a software application that allows users to convert bibliographic records from one MAchine-Readable Cataloguing (MARC) format to another. To download the software please visit the the British Library web site at http://www.bl.uk/services/bibliographic/usemarcon.html Database globally ----------------- A recent advert pointed to the work of Nexus Information Services Company Private Limited (affiliated to National Information Services Corporation, Baltimore, Maryland, USA). It is one of the foremost database access, production and publishing companies in the world. Nexus Information Services Co. Pvt. Ltd is located at Hyderabad, and can be contacted via [EMAIL PROTECTED] while their site is at http://www.nisc.com Om Gurubhyo Namah ----------------- Astrology online? Why not, IT creates space for everything -- whether you believe in it or not. Pandit S.P.Tata says: "I cordially invite you to visit my Vedic astrology website http://www.astrojyoti.com It is a site based on the authentic Indian Hindu astrology tradition.... Vedic astrology is God's gift to mankind so that we can know and plan our future. My attempt is to give you a one-stop Vedic astrology site that is complete in all respects." Some content is free, and the other paid. The latter category includes instant predictions via online chat, personal forecasts (not computer generated), and the like. With astrology getting into cyberspace, even creditcards work here. http://www.astrojyoti.com Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] For the non-profit world ------------------------ The Australia-based Malian Foundation is offering non-profit organizations free computer software and management tools which can help organizations achieve their potential. The foundation, for example, offers "Discover", a specialized tool which helps organizations to train volunteers. http://www.worldvolunteerweb.org/getnews/news2.cfm?ArticlesID=517 Community multimedia -------------------- UNESCO has just released a handbook on Community Multimedia Centres entitled: "How To Get Started And Keep Going: A Guide to Community Multimedia Centres". Written by reputed practitioners and researchers working on CMCs or ICT for development, it is available in hard copy, CD Rom and via cyberspace. http://portal.unesco.org/ci/ev.php?URL_ID=15677&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION =201 PCs and Rs 5000? ---------------- When Rajesh Jain <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> of Netcore spoke about PCs costing Rs 5000, some thought this was only in the realm of speculation. Jain outlined his plays, in reply: "Here is what we are planning to do: build our own thin client for about Rs 3,000 (will support VNC -- a remote display protocol). Down the line, it will have a multimedia codec in it also, so the client will have full media capabilities. This cost will include keyboard and mouse also. A refurbished monitor is available for Rs 2,000 or so in India. Thats how I get to the Rs 5,000 figure. We expect the thin client to be ready in about two months. We will still need server resources -- that cost can vary from Rs 500-Rs 2500 per user, depending on the users." Check the software plans on http://www.emergic.com. Software at a (small) price --------------------------- Gaytri Sharma of Shilpa Traders and Exports in Jaipur <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes in with an unusual offer. They say they've downloaded "very important and informative material" for a child's education. Cost per CD Rs 100 plus postage. You pay only Rs 25 as VPP charges. "If you think that the CD is not worth, you have the option of throwing it out of your window. No question will be asked from my side. If satisfied, send in the cost. If you feel that CD justifies the cost, you send me money by Cheque in the name of Shilpa Traders and Exports. Just give me your name and address, where you want the CD to be sent and it will be sent in next week. If you want the CD withut the above offer, a postal packet for VPP Rs 125 will be sent at your address without delay. Waiting for your confirmation along with address. Charityfocus.org ---------------- Pavi <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> explains the intent of an initiative on the Net: "There are so many ways to integrate head and heart, skills and spirit and it's always inspiring to find more and more people willing and wanting to do just that. Charityfocus.org was started by a bunch of college techies in Silicon Valley who wanted to do (something more). Visit http://www.charityfocus.org when you have a chance. Incidentally they have a chapter in Bangalore that you're more than welcome to join!" GOING BEYOND CODE, BUGS AND TESTS: A LETTER FROM BANGALORE From: Abhishek SINHA [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Thursday, May 06, 2004 12:07 AM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [bytesforall_readers] Volunteer! Hello All I should by start saying that I have recently woken up to the world around my cubicle. I am a software engineer working in a Fortune 500 in Bangalore and life for me was code, bugs and tests. Till one day i woke up to the utter uselessness of my skills and my way of making the difference. Then i found bytesforall and started reading some of the articles. Simputer made me swell with pride since it was something *we* -- considered mostly third world inexpensive labor -- made all by ourselves. Now i firmly believe that we need to look at technology, more than anything else to bring out a social change or atleast create awareness about it. I would want to volunteer my time and effot to bytesforall, But currently I have no direction as to how can I can spend my time doing something that helps social change with technology. Being a techie at heart, this appeals more to me and keeps me motivated. Can someone tell me in what way(s) i can contribute! Either to the newsletter in perparing case studies..etc etc... I would be really grateful.! Regards, Abhishek Coming... from California ------------------------- Joyojeet Pal <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> is part of a research group at the University of California at Berkeley and they're are in the process of developing new technologies that can be used to make infrastructure and end user devices less-expensive in the 'developing regions'. Says Pal: "We are planning a trip to India in June, when we would like to meet with potential partners to test our technology and consider working together with. Ideally, the partners should have the following (not restricted to - except item 4): * need for an infrastructure solution * need for faster connectivity * need for regionally-relevant solutions * existing infrastructure or something very close to deployment. Contact Pal if interested.This is a research group at Berkeley, mainly interested in unexplored research areas in cost reduction for infrastructure. http://tier.cs.berkeley.edu Virtual Academy for the Semi-Arid Tropics ----------------------------------------- Balaji, V <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> of ICRISAT indicates that the project for the Virtual Academy for the Semi-Arid Tropics (VASAT) is going ahead soon. VASAT-Asia has recently advertised for a project manager (Hindu, April 21) to be based at ICRISAT, Patancheru, just outside Hyeradabad (Andhra Pradesh). The VASAT is a strategic coalition of partners with dryland farm communities and intermediaries as its core focus. The coalition includes international agricultural research centers, advanced research institutes, national open universities, national agriculture and extension systems, international development organizations, civil society organizations and community-based groups. The VASAT is led by ICRISAT, an international organisation for science-based agricultural development. ICRISAT research focuses on farming systems and crop Improvement, management and utilization of sorghum, pearl millet, pigeonpea, chickpea, and groundnut in the semi-arid tropics. For those in the field ---------------------- If you'd like to get a CD containing a decade-and-half of archives related to the world of agriculture get in touch with ILEIA ILEIA Centre for Information on Low External Input and Sustainable Agriculture PO Box 2067 3800 CB Amersfoort The Netherlands http://www.ileia.org or contact Anita Ingevall, the director <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Agri and IT ----------- A consultiation related to agriculture and ICT. http://dfid-agriculture-consultation.nri.org/ ICTs in Indian languages ------------------------ Dr. U.B. Pavanaja <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> recently asked if anyone has information about any course (diploma, degree, correspondence) being conducted by any Indian university about ICT (information and communication technologies) in Indian languages? He was interested particularly in courses on ICTs run in any Indian language. Said he: "I need the structure of the course, syllabus, number of lectures, practicals, etc. Any pointer, web-sites may also be given." Dr Pavanaja is a member of the Board of Studies for the Kannada University which is currently looking at making the structure, syllabus, etc., for a course on ICT. The medium of instruction will be Kannada, says he. He's also editor of Vishwa Kannada, the first Internet magazine in Kannada (http://www.vishvakannada.com/) 0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0 bYtES For aLL is a voluntary, unfunded venture. CopyLeft, To join an active discussion list, send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] ------------ ***GKD is solely supported by EDC, a Non-Profit Organization*** To post a message, send it to: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To subscribe or unsubscribe, send a message to: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>. In the 1st line of the message type: subscribe gkd OR type: unsubscribe gkd Archives of previous GKD messages can be found at: <http://www.edc.org/GLG/gkd/>
